New Hampshire Gun Laws
Gun Laws Overview
RIFLES & SHOTGUNS | HANDGUNS | |
---|---|---|
Permit to Purchase | No | No |
Registration of Firearms | No | No |
Licensing of Owners | No | No |
Permit to Carry | No | No* |
*A permit to carry is available, but it is not required to carry a handgun either openly or concealed. The list and map below are included as a tool to assist you in validating your information. We have made every effort to report the information correctly, however reciprocity and recognition agreements are subject to frequent change. The information is not intended as legal advice or a restatement of law and does not include: restrictions that may be placed on non-resident permits, individuals under the age of 21, qualifying permit classes, and/or any other factor which may limit reciprocity and/or recognition. For any particular situation, a licensed local attorney must be consulted for an accurate interpretation. YOU MUST ABIDE WITH ALL LAWS: STATE, FEDERAL AND LOCAL. |
STATE STATUS | |
---|---|
Castle Doctrine | Enacted |
No-Net Loss | No Legislation |
Right to Carry Confidentiality | Provisions Enacted |
Right to Carry in Restaurants | Legal |
Right To Carry Laws | No Permit Required |
Right To Carry Reciprocity and Recognition | True Reciprocity |
Right to Keep & Bear Arms State Constitutional Provisions | With Provisions |
Laws on Purchase, Possession and Carrying of Firearms
Purchase
There are no state licensing requirements for the purchase of any rifle, shotgun or handgun. MORE |
Possession
There are no state licensing requirements for the possession of rifles, shotguns or handguns. It is unlawful for any person who has been convicted of a felony to own, possess or control any firearm. MORE |
Carry
New Hampshire is a permitless carry state, and New Hampshire Statute 159:6(III) provides that "The availability of a license to carry a loaded pistol or revolver under this section or under any other provision of law shall not be construed to impose a prohibition on the unlicensed transport or carry of a firearm in a vehicle, or on or about one’s person, whether openly or concealed, loaded or unloaded, by a resident, nonresident, or alien if that individual is not otherwise prohibited by statute from possessing a firearm in the state of New Hampshire." MORE |
Preemption
The state of New Hampshire shall have authority and jurisdiction over the sale, purchase, ownership, use, possession, transportation, licensing, permitting, taxation, or other matter pertaining to firearms, firearms components, ammunition, or firearms supplies in the state. MORE |
Machine Guns
In the absence of any state law governing automatic weapons, federal law controls the registration and regulation of machine guns in New Hampshire. |
Antiques and Replicas
Antiques, defined as any handgun "utilizing an early type of ignition," such as flintlocks, percussion and pin fires, are exempt from the above regulations. No handgun which utilizes centerfire or rimfire cartridges will be considered an antique. |
Range Protection
No person who owns, operates, or uses a shooting range in this state shall be subject to civil liability or criminal prosecution in any matter relating to noise or noise pollution... MORE |
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Democrats in the House and Senate voted yesterday to bar firearms and other deadly or dangerous weapons from ...
Friday, October 16, 2009
The New Hampshire Department of Safety has ordered law enforcement agencies to end the practice of running background ...
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
The New Hampshire Fish and Game Department is offering women a chance to learn hunting skills in a ...
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Just as she was about to take a shower, a Seabrook homeowner heard "loud crashing" noises. She grabbed ...
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
The New Hampshire Legislature is currently considering the New Hampshire state budget (House Bill 2). The budget bill ...
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
On Thursday, April 23 at 11:00 a.m., the House Executive Departments and Administration Committee will consider a bill ...
Monday, March 23, 2009
As early as tomorrow, the New Hampshire House could vote on a bill (House Bill 398) that would ...
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Please join Gun Owners of New Hampshire (GO-NH), NRA’s official state association for New Hampshire, for their FREE ...
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Young New Hampshire deer hunters may soon be allowed to hunt in Vermont, resolving an interstate dispute over ...
Friday, January 30, 2009
Three years after Gov. John Lynch vetoed the notion, the Legislature is considering a bill that would expand ...